UCLA TIES (Training, Intervention, Education, and Services) for Families is an interdisciplinary program in LA County dedicated to optimizing the growth and development of foster/adoptive children from birth to age 21, and their families through:

• TIES Preplacement Education and Preparation for prospective resource parents (TIES PREP)

• Interdisciplinary trauma and resilience-informed, child welfare-competent services to children and their resource families before, during and after placement

• Advocacy for children and families at the individual, community, and government level

• Education of professionals regarding culturally-responsive, trauma and resiliency informed, child welfare competent approaches to serving children in the foster care system

• Collaboration and consultation with other professionals and agencies

• Applied research to evaluate and improve service

TIES for Families (formerly TIES for Adoption) was founded in 1995 by Susan Edelstein, LCSW, as a model demonstration project to support the successful growth, and development

of foster/adoptive children and their families. The program employs an innovative model of intervention to support successful transition into safe, stable, and nurturing families.

A key feature of the UCLA TIES for Families program is that services can be offered as children transition into new families, a vulnerable period that presents opportunities to promote attachment and prevent problems from escalating. The program works in close collaboration with the public child welfare and mental health systems.